Any one with experience with one of these. It is marked "Parker and Hale" sporterized rifle. Very nice condition. Thinking about picking it up if the price is right.

If the price is good, the bore is good and you like the gun(I do), I would buy it.

Parker, later Parker-Hale, were a long-time British manufacturer of high-quality competition sights. They expanded into making target rifles based on the Martini action, and the Parkerifling .22 barrel reliner. Post-war, they also sporterized surplus military rifles, especially Lee-Enfields (being a British company), and making things like .22 conversions for Webley service revolvers, etc. Eventually they were turning out rifles under their own name using various Mauser-style actions.

Parker-Hale Enfield sporters were well-known in any countries that had used the .303, and usually were considered to be one of the best conversions, quality-wise. If the barrel is in good shape and the price suits, it would be a good bet for anyone looking for a .303 sporter. We see quite a few up here.

Go by condition and price; the Parker Hale name doesn't mean you are getting a top quality rifle built in England. Navy Arms used it too.
Post or send a picture.
Yes, Enfields are very good 303 rifles.

Sorry Macs R, I was unaware that the name had been appropriated down there by an importer. It goes to show that our experience up here doesn't necessarily translate to your market. Please disregard!

quote:

Originally posted by cdsx:
Sorry Macs R, I was unaware that the name had been appropriated down there by an importer. It goes to show that our experience up here doesn't necessarily translate to your market. Please disregard!

Parker Hale versus Parker and Hale ? A subtle difference that may mean a lot. Parker Hale did a lot of sporterizing of military rifles after the war. Nice rifles and very common up here.

Grizz

Appreciate the input folks. Are there any particular serial number ranges or other "avoid" criteria with these rifles?

quote:

Originally posted by Macs B:
Appreciate the input folks. Are there any particular serial number ranges or other "avoid" criteria with these rifles?

Like dpcd says, just go by condition and price. Neither genuine Parker-Hale nor Navy Arms versions were manufactured by those companies; they just sporterized them. They were built by British and British Empire arsenals (for decades) and that determined the quality of the basic rifle. By the time they got to the No.4 Mk.1, the design was well sorted-out.

I have a Parker Hale sporter based on a 1942 long branch action with two groove barrel. Parker Hale marked ramp front sight and military rear sight. 21" long barrel and the forend cut back accoringly. Bore shines like a new penny and would like to try her out but all local ranges are closed due to the virus. The draws were improperly cut and the back end of the forend cracked. Will fit a piece of walnut in the and epoxy it in place. the draws will be recut and oak shims with epoxy should solve that problem. Then glass bed the action,knoc's form and at the end of the forend. Couldn't get the japanese made Sante Fe mag to feed so will be using a standard #4 mag that I know works. Frank

I have a No.4 that has been rebarreled to 303/270 and came fitted with an original A.J.Parker 5C range sight.
The price was right, a gentleman walked into the gunshop and asked for some ammo. He was told that it had not been made for about 40 years.

I proceeded to tell him how simple it was to form cases and his answer; "If you know all about it, you can have it!

Barrel is almost new and it shoots a Lyman 140gn cast bullet like crazy.

Talk about lucky! That never happens to me.

Nor me, at least not when it comes to rifles. (Got my first Volvo that way, though.) Less than a month before I met one of my in-laws, he had turned in all his firearms to the Mounties in exchange for - wait for this - a digital camera. I could have strangled him when I found out. "Well I'm too old to have any use for them and she just wanted them out of the house."

Methinks he traded the wrong thing for that digital camera.

And that is a very sad story.

I give him grief about it on an on-going basis. It's good therapy for me.